This music video celebrates sexual identity & urban romance

“I wanted to be a part of something which inspires unity in people,” says model Reece King of Tafari Hinds’ “EIIR” video in which he co-stars. He sees the project as “something that supports anyone and everyone and encourages us to connects despite or beliefs.” What’s striking about the London-based singer’s new video, though, is that all of this energy – this desire for unity and emotional collaboration – is channeled through a single couple, who find each other in a limitless urban landscape.

The Alastair Strong-shot video begins with a dusky urban setting, and sees the coming together of two main protagonists, played by King and Bee Beardsworth. The slow-motion takes elevate the normality of city love to something akin to love on the stage; their movement towards one other acquires a strong significance as the camera focuses on their clothing, that of Massachusetts-based outwear company Penfield and styled by Ian Luka, with Hinds’ falsetto soaring in the background.

Besides making music, Hinds has appeared as a model in campaigns for Vivienne Westwood, French Connection and Levis, working with industry legends such as Nick Knight, Simon Foxton, Solve Sundsbo and Tom Ford to name a few, an industry which cultivated his desire to make visceral and sensual music. The themes explored in “EIIR” and its video are universal – those of being in an environment in which the exploration, appreciation, and love for different sexual identities is possible. But the work holds a deep personal significance for Hinds, too.

“When I moved to London from Jamaica, I was free to explore my identity and sexuality; I didn’t have to conform to the stereotype of the straight black male,” he explains. “The song and the video is about exploring those different identities within you, whether they’re extreme or subtle, and embracing it all without fear and showing the real you.”